Safety ski harness



Dec. 30, 1 K. w. GRUPPE SAFETY SKI HARNESS Filed July 12, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVINTOR KARLWGRUDPE Iv a W A n'omuns Dec. 30, 1941. K. w. GRUPAPE 2,268,449

SAFETY SKI HARNES S Fig.2

INVENTOR KARL W. GRUPPE ATTORNEY:

Patented Dec. 30, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 10 Claims.

My present invention relates to a safety ski harness.

The purpose of this invention is to provid a safety ski harness of new and improved construction and one which is economical in original construction and in being applied to skis, and which is efficient and reliable in operation and not liable to get out of order.

It is well known among skiers that an accidental forward fall by a skier is a fall that is most likely of all accidents to seriously injure the skier and particularly to cause a fracture or breakage of the ankle Joint or of the bone of the leg near the ankle joint.

As far as I am informed none of the present forms of ski harness allows for a sufficiently quick release of the foot of the skier from the ski when the person using the skis falls forward. The main purpose of this invention is to provide a ski harness which automatically unlocks from th harness the user's foot and shoe when the skier accidentally falls forward.

A further purpose is to provide a safety ski harness of the type mentioned which will positively unlock the latch holding the harness to the skiers shoe on the sharp raising of the heel and the front of the ankle of the skiers shoe, which occurs when he fallsforward, and which safety ski harness nevertheless will not operate to release the shoe unless the forward part of the ankle portion of the shoe is brought upwardly into actual engagement with a part of the bridge portion of the safety harness. In other words my invention is to be definitely distinguished from those so-called safety devices which detach the shoe of the skier from the ski harness simply on a sharp increase in sidewise or twisting tension imparted to some part of the ski harness.

A further purpose of this invention is also to provide a releasable bridge over the foot and connecting the two sidewalls of the harness with one of th sidewalls positively located and the other one hingedly mounted at its lower end and normally held in place by the hooked or latched engagement of a bridge member con-- necting the upper ends of the said sidewalls or plates of the harness.

A further purpose is to provide in combination with such a construction a detachable device which normally holds one end of the cable which passes around the grooved rear end of the heel of the skiers shoe, with said device so constructed that on the swinging open of the hinged side of the harness the said holding device will also release the end of the said cable and to that further extent cause a complete and instantaneous release of the shoe from the ski.

Further purposes and advantages of the invention will appear from the specification and claims herein.

Fig. 1 is an isometric view of the relevant portion of a ski harness embodying the different features of this invention, said safety ski harness showing the means for normally holding the short front end of the heel cable.

Fig. 4 is a detailed side elevation of the upper part of the harness shown in Fig. 3 but with the outer or right hand end of the overhanging bridge piece shown at the instant it has swung upwardly at its rear side and before the swingingly or hingedly mounted outer or right plate has sprung outwardly, and before the front hook on the forward right corner of the said bridge piece has become disengaged from the projection upon the adjacent upper front corner of this swinging side wall or plate.

Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the top edge of the hinged side plate II, and particularly showing the outwardly turned slanting portion 24 and the still further outwardly turned forward upper corner 21 on said side plate providing the gateway 28.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the forward part of the hinged joint between the hinged side plate H and its hinge plate I2, as seen from nearly directly below said parts when the hinged plate is swung outwardly almost to horizontal position.

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view of the parts showing immediately on line 1-1 of Fig. 3, looking rearwardly but omitting any showing of the cable 35 and with the hinged side plate II swung outwardly.

Fig. 8 is a similar sectional view of the parts showing immediately on line 8-8 of Fig. 3, looking forwardly but omitting any showing of the cable 35 and with the hinged side plate ll swung outwardly.

Fig. 9 is a plan view on a reduced scale of the central portion of a ski with a complete ski harness embodying my invention thereon, including a two-ended heel-engaging cable and a conventional take-up device holding the longer end of the cable and with the other or short end of the cable shown as still held by the releasable cable fastener that is a part of my safety ski harness proper, the parts being shown in their shoe-holding position.

Referring to th drawings in a more particular description, it will be seen that to the central portion of the conventional wood ski 'I there is attached the usual center plate 8. On the inner or left side of this ski is located the usual rigid or fixed but adjustable side plate 8, the horizontal flange of which projects inwardly from the lower side of the sid plate itself into the space left between the center plate 8 and the ski itself just to the rear of the front end of said central plate 8. n the other or right side of the ski there is provided the right and hinged side plate I I, which at its lower edge is hinged to the hinge plate I2 therefor, as by interlocking curved eye portions on the plate II, and on the said hinge plate I2, being pierced by a long hinge pin I 9. Suitably spaced up from the bottom of the said plates there are provided the inwardly projecting welt-engaging lugs IS on the plate 9 and II on the plate II for the purpose of projecting into the space directly over the opposite edges of the strong. thick, rigid welt of the conventional skiers shoe.

In this safety ski harness as in the regular ski harness, the side plates 0 and II are arranged to slant inwardly as they extend forwardly and the said sidegplates are arranged so as to be closely adjusted laterally to the proper distance apart as by the screws I4 projecting down through the central plate 8, and through the flange portion II of the plate 8 and through the hinge plate I2 of the hinged plate I I through arcuate elongated slots II provided in said horizontal flange I0, and in said hinge plate I2, so that as the skier pushes his shoe strongly forward along the central plate 3 the said lugs II and I1 will cooperate in the usual way to engage the recesses over the edges of the welt of the shoe. and with said edges of the sole of the shoe directly engaging but with a wedging action, the portions of the side plates 9 and II below the said lugs I8 and I1.

Directly forward of the horizontal flange 10' of the fixed sid plate 9 and forward of the hinge plate I2, the said central plate I is offset downwardiy so as to provide a forward portion U parallel to and resting directly upon the upper surface of the ski I, and permanently and strongly fastened thereto as by screws II extending through suitable holes in said front piece 8' into the ski 'I.

The loose link connection between the upper portion of the fixed side plate 9 and its end of the bridge piece I8 may conveniently consist of an apertured ear 20 provided upon this edge of the bridge piece I8, through the aperture of which extends a finger 2i extending upwardly from the upper edge of the fixed side plate 9. When the parts are in operative position the said ear II has its forward and rearward portions resting down upon the upper edge of the fixed side plate 9, as best shown in Fig. l, and slightly to the rear of the rearward part of this ear 20 there is provided another finger 22 upstanding from the upper edge of the fixed side plate 0, with said finger having its upper end turned forwardly over the adjacent portion of the ear 2| but spaced somewhat therefrom, so that the said bridge piece may swing somewhat upwardly about the straight finger 2| without the said bridge piece becoming detached from the fixed side plate I.

Near the other or outer end of the bride piece the bridge piece is provided with a downwardly extending inturned hook 23, which when the parts are in connected and operative position" engages the oppositely located upstanding but outwardly slanting portion II. It will be understood that the said side plates and the said bridge piece and their interconnected portions are so proportioned and arranged that the said hinged side plate I I has to be temporarily sprung inwardly in order to bring the hook 23 of the bridge piece into engagement with the outer surface of the cooperating slanted part 24 of the hinged side plate II. It results from this arrangement that when the parts are so connected their internal tension is sufiicient to hold the hook in place upon the swinging side plate. When a sufficient force, as hereafter described, is app ied to the rear end of the bridge piece I. the rearward portion of the bridge piece can begin to swing upwardly towards the position shown in Fig. 4 and as this upward swinging motion continues the hook 23 can be moved upwardly from its engaged portion 24 on the movable s de plate. Such upward movement of the hook operates with a camming action to spring the h nged side plate II inwardly sufficiently to allow the ultimate disengagement of the hook 23 by upward movement thereof, until the bridge piece in the transverse line of this hook comes more or less to the position thereof shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. Thereupon the said internal tension given to the side plate II, which tension has been slightly increased by the inward camming action of the hook 23 upon the slanted portion 24 of the side plate II, results in a sharp springing outward of the said side plate II, the force necessary to make the final release of the hook it from its engaged portion 24 at the same time resulting in a sharp swinging upward of the bridge piece Il, usually to a position much above the dotted line position of the bridge shown in Fig. 2 and usually with .the bridge piece swinging forwardly about the straight ear 2i of the other or fixed side plate 0. This upward swinging of the bridge piec I! and the contemporaneous sharp swinging ouwardly of wardly and somewhat rearwardly, as plainly illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings. This prolongation is conveniently integral with the bridge piece and constitutes an operating arm II, which preferably is extended laterally in both directions as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

when a skier starts to fall forwardly the sole of the shoe is flexed or bent sharply just to the rear of the portions thereof engaged by the inwardly projecting lugs II and I1 until the whole sole of the shoe rearwardly of said lugs comes to a large angle beginning to approach a right angle and the forward portion of the shoe, commonly called its instep portion, strongly braced by the adjacent forward portion of the instep of the skiers foot, comes into dire-ct and strong engagement with the rear curved face of the operating arm 25 of the bridge piece l8. This engagement of the instep of the skiers shoe results ordinarily in a rolling motion being imparted to the said bridge piece, resulting in the parts beginning to approach the position shown in Fig. 4 with the front of the bridge piece still engaging the top of the fixed side plate and the top forward portion of the hinged side plate, while the said hook 23 begins to slide upwardly along the slanting outer surface of the portion 24 of the hinged side plate H and exerts an inwardly acting camming action upon said portion 24, which springs the said upper part of the said hinged side plate inwardly enough to effect the ultimate disengagement of the hook 23 into the position shown in Fig. 4. Thereupon as already intimated, th said hinged side plate Ii will spring sharply outwardly on its pivot i9 and the skier's shoe will be entirely released from the ski.

In some situations the upswinging of the skiers shoe when he is starting to make a forward fall may impart essentially a forward pushing motion to the bridge piece l8 and my bridge piece is adapted to be detached also under such forward swinging motion imparted to the bridge piece. Under these circumstances the hook 23 is pushed forward relative to the relatively short slanting portion 24 measured from front to rear of said portion until the hook slides off the front end of said engaged portion 24, which sliding of! operates to effect an entire detachment of the bridge piece from the top of the hinged side plate, by reason of a notch 26 provided in the upper edge of the side plate ii just forwardly of the slanted portion 24, as best appears in Figs. 3 and 4. This notch in combination with the fact that the forward upper corner 21 of this side plate i i is bent outwardly as best appears in Fig. 1, and also in the detail top view of this side plate shown in Fig. 5, allows quick detachment of the joint on forward movement of the hook 23. As will be obvious from the showing in Fig. the outward bending of this upper front corner 21 of the hinged side plate H, especially with the upper portion of said portion slanting outwardly as it extends backwardly, provides a gateway 28 through which the hook 23 may pass as it is pushed forwardly on said forward motion of the bridge piece, until the rear end of the hook becomes entirely clear of the front end of the said outwardly slanted portion 24 that has been engaged by the said hook 23. This forward motion of the bridge piece may occur without so much of an inward camming action imparted to the side plate II as occurs when the said hook is forced directly upward but there is still sufficient internal tension in the parts to cause the sharp instantaneous outward swinging of the hinged side plate I i that has already been described in detail as following the upward motion of the said hook, and thereby the shoe of the skier will be instantaneously released from th harness of the ski.

As a precaution against an unwanted and unnecessary detachment of the bridge piece in my device from the hinged side plate, if a skier runs into deep hard snow that might put a great deal of pressure against the front of the operating arm 25, I provide on the front outer comer of the bridge piece i8 a downwardly extending back-turned hook 29 which normally engages forward of and beneath a forwardly extending projection 30 as best appears in Figs. 3 and 4.

This hook so engaging the projection 30 obviously forms a positive step against the bridge piece l8 being forced rearwardly along the upper edge of the side plate II, but it does not interfere with the detachment of the hook 23 from its latching engagement with said side plate H either by upward rolling movement of the bridge piece IE or by forward sliding movement of the bridge piece I8. Upon a disengagement effected by upward movement of the part of the bridge piece carrying the hook 23, this upward swing of the hook 23 is not interfered with until the bridge piece goes even somewhat higher up than indicated in Fig. 4 and by that time the sharp outward swinging action of the whole side plate ll takes place, which. as will be apparent from Figs. 3 and 4, will carry the projection 30 out from the said hook 29. Similarly on an ordinary forward sliding action of the bridge piece the hook 29 will be withdrawn from beneath the projection 30 by the time the hook 23 has cleared its cooperating part 24 upon the bridge piece.

In many forms of ski harnesses there is provided a strong flexible and somewhat elastic cable, which has its rearward loop passing around the heel of the ski shoe and its forward ends attached to a conventional adjustable takeup device (not shown except in Fig. 9) placed on the ski forward of the shoe. For use with this cable there is usually an inwardly extending groove on the rounded rear portions and sides of the heel of the ski shoe to hold the .cable in place. The tension of this ski cable helps to hold the ski shoe wedged forwardly in the harness and so connected to the ski.

As a further precaution against accidents and as a further feature of my safety ski harness I modify the cable so as to have only one end of the loop of cable connected to the adjustable take-up device on the ski forward of the shoe, and 1' reduce the length of the other end of the cable so that this shortened end comes opposite the forward portion of the hinged side plate II.

On one eye portion, say the forward eye portion 3! of the hinged side plate H, I provide an enlargement 32, which as shown in Fig. 1, projects outwardly from the ordinary body of the pin-perforated eye piece 3| when the hinged plate ll, of which this eye piece is preferably an integral part, is in upright position. This enlargement on the eye piece has a socket 33 projecting thereinto from the rear end of the enlargement, which socket is adapted to receive a ball 34 provided and securely attached to the forward end of this shortened end 35 of the cable 36. On the pin-pierced eye piece 31 that is preferably integral with the hinge plate l2 and which eye section is immediately to the rear of the eye section on the hinged plate I I, having the said socket 33, there is provided another enlargement 3B. This enlargement 38 projects outwardly practically in line with the hinge plate l2, which carries this eye piece 31 so that when the hinged side plate H is in normal operating or upright position as shown in Fig. l, the socket 33 and the enlargement 32 which bears it are practically in alignment with the enlargement 38, as appears in Fig. 1. The enlargement 38 is cut away on its lower side to allow the rearward passage of the cable 35 from its ball 34 in the socket 33.

In Figs. 1 and 3'the enlargement 32 carrying the socket 33 is shown in horizontal alignment with the enlargement 33, as when the hinged side plate II is in upward or operating pofltion.

. In this position the ball 34 on the forward end of this portion 33 of the cable 33 is in the socket and is locked in the socket by the enlargement 33 immediately to the rear of the socket operating as a cover or cap over the rear end of the socket and so looking the ball within the socket. The so-called worm's eye view Fig. 6 of the part ofv the hinged joint providing the socket 33 and the enlargement 33 shows the enlargement 32 on the forward eye portion of the hinged plate; when the hinged plate is swung outwardly, and so the socket 33 is out of alignment with the enlargement 33 on the eye portion 31 of the hinged plate. In this view the ball 34 at the end of the cable 35 is shown as still remaining in the forward socket and with the wires forming the core of the cable projecting rearwardly from said ball, although it will be understood that ordinarily by the time the socket 33 is thus swung outward from the enlargement 33, the ball would normally have been drawn out of the socket, due to the tension ordinarily placed upon th cable portions, both 35 and 33.

This same view from below shows the groove formed in the lower side of the enlar ement 33 for the purpose of providing a clearance for the rearwardly extending wires forming the said core of the cable 33 when the ball of sa d c e is moved up so as to be locked in the socket 33. It

will be understood that this groove 33 is only' large enough to provide clearance for the wires of the cable and is not large enough to permit the escape of the ball itself from the socket 33. Ordinarily of course the ball will be placed in the socket while the hinged side plate is still swung outwardly and then when the said hinged side plate is swung upwardly and latched 1n operating position, the said ball will be locked in its said socket. Thereafter the adjustable takeup device will be operated to impart the usual spring tension of the cable to the back of the heel of the ski shoe in the ordinary way. But when the detachable connection between the hinged side plate and the bridge piece is tripped or disengaged by the foot of the skier being raised so that his shoe sharply impinges against the operating arm of the bridge piece, bringing about an instantaneous release and outward swing of the hinged plate, the forward socket 33 will be swung downwardly out of alignment withthe enlargement that has heretofore confined the ball in said socket and the tension normally upon the said heel-engaging cable will draw this end of th cable carrying the ball 34 out from the socket and thus even the heel of the shoe will be promptly released from the forward urge thereto imparted to the shoe to stay in engagement with the side plates of the harness. when a loop of elastic cable has been placed about the heel of the skiers shoe and drawn taut thereagainst by a take-up device of conventional form in front of the shoe, pulling that end of the cable forwardly while the secan instantaneous release of the heel-engaging cable by the same movement that operates to disengage the hinged side plate from its holding bridge piece, and this has been done without complicating or adding anything to the primary construction and without adding to the dimeulty of detachment of the said parts when the forward fall produces a disengagement of the swinging hinged plate from its holding bridge piece.

By thus combining the emergency detachment of the said cable with the emergency detachment of the swingingly mounted hinged side plate, the eflicacy of the safety features of this ski harness is in effect doubled in that the shoe is not only released from its engagement between the side plates of the harness, but is also released from the forward urge of the spring-tensioned cable. In this way the skishoe is substantially instantaneously and completely disengaged from the ski.

The backward pull of the tension on the short cable exerts a considerable downward pull on the outwardly projecting enlargement 32 containing the socket 33, which downward pull on the enlargement is a further aid in swinging the hinged side plate I I outwardly.

The upwardly and rearwardly bent operating arm 25 can be adjusted to have its upper end and rear side just the proper distance forward of the cooperating instep portion of the shoe of that particular skier so as to get the desired quick and sure tripping of the device. Such adjustment can, in an obvious manner, be made by bending as in a vise the metal of the arm which will thereafter stay at the adjusted position, since it requires relatively little pressure of the skiers shoe on the arm 25 to trip it, and this amount of pressure could not possiblydistort the arm 25 or impair its future operation.

What I claim as new and desire to patent is:

1. In a ski harness the combination of a pair of shoe-engaging side plates projecting up from I the ski, one plate being rigid relative to the ski,

and end of the cable is held fast by a releasable the second plate having its lower edge hinged relative to the ski and adapted to swing outwardly, a bridge piece having an upwardly and rearwardly extending rigid operating arm, said bridge piece having one end loosely connected to the upper part of the fixed side plate and having its other end detachably connected to the upper end of the hinged side plate, said connection placing a tension on said hinged side plate that tends to hold it connected to the bridge piece until positively separated, and that tends to spring said hinged side plate outwardly when the parts are disengaged, said connection of the bridge piece to the hinged side plate being disengaged by upward or forward movement of the bridge piece imparted to the bridge piece through its operating arm by forward pressure thereon from the instep of the shoe when the heel is greatly raised as during a forward fall.

2. In a ski harness the combination of a pair of shoe-engaging side plates projecting up from the ski, one platebeing rigid relative to the ski, the second plate having its lower edge hinged relative to the ski and adapted to swing outwardly, a bridge piece having an upwardly and rearwardly extending rigid operating arm, said bridge piece having one end loosely connected to the top of the fixed side plate and having its other end detachably hooked to the upper end of the hinged side plate, said detachable hooked connection placing a tension on said hinged side plate that tends to hold it connected to the bridge piece until positive separation of said parts and that tends to spring said side plate outwardly when the parts are disengaged, said hooked connection of the bridge piece to the hinged side plate being disengaged by the bridge piece temporarily camming the hinged plate inwardly by upward or forward motion imparted to said bridge piece by pressure from the instep of the upraised shoe.

3. In a ski harness the combination of a pair of shoe-engaging side plates projecting up from the ski, one plate being rigid relative to the ski, the second plate having its lower edge hinged relative to the ski and adapted to swing outwardly, a rigid bridge piece having at its rearward side a centrally disposed rigid operating arm extending rearwardly and then curved upwardly, said bridge piece having its opposite ends reaching to the upper ends of said side plates, the connection to the top of the fixed plate being a loose joint allowing the bridge piece to swing upward thereabouts, the other end of the bridge piece having a downwardly extending inturned hook engaging over an upstanding outwardly slanted portion at the top of the hinged side plate, said parts remaining in holding engagement until forward or upward pressure from the instep of the wearers shoe upon said operating arm forces the bridge piece upwardly at its rear side, or forces the bridge piece bodily forward, and disengages said hook from the said engaged portion of the hinged sideplate, whereupon said bridge piece swings upwardly and said hinged side plate swings outwardly, releasing the shoe from the ski.

4. In a ski harness the combination of a pair of shoe-engaging side plates projecting up from the ski, one plate being rigid relative to the ski, the second plate having its lower edge hinged relative to the ski and adapted to swing outwardly, a rigid bridge piece having at its rearward side a centrally disposed rigid operating arm extending rearwardly and then curved upwardly, said bridge piece having its opposite ends reaching to the upper ends of said side plates, the connection to the top of the fixed plate being a loose joint allowing the bridge piece to swing upward thereabouts, the other end of the bridge piece having a downwardly extending inturned hook engaging over an upstanding outwardly slanted portion at the top of the hinged side plate, said parts through tension thereof when connected remaining in holding engagement until forward or upward pressure from the instep of the wearers shoe upon said operating arm forces the bridge piece upwardly at its rear side, or forces the bridge piece bodily forward, and disengages said hook from the said engaged portion of the hinged side plate whereupon said bridge piece swings upwardly and said hinged side plate springs outwardly, releasing the shoe from the ski.

5. In a ski harness the combination of a pair of shoe-engaging side plates projecting up from the ski, one plate being rigid relative to the ski, the second plate having its lower edge hinged relative to the ski and adapted to swing outwardly, a rigid bridge piece having one end loosely connected to the upper part of the fixed side plate and having its other end detachably connected to the upper end of the hinged side plate, said connection placing a tension on said hinged side plate that tends to spring said hinged side plate outwardly when the parts are disengaged,

said connection of the bridge piece to the hinged side plate being disengaged by upward or forward movement of the bridge piece, and a centrally disposed rigid operating arm extending rearwardly and upwardly from the bridge piece for so moving the same and operated by forward pressure thereon from the instep of the shoe when the heel is excessively raised as dur- D ing a forward fall.

6. In a ski harness the combination of a pair of shoe-engaging side plates projecting up from the ski, one plate being rigid relative to the ski, the second plate having its lower edge hinged relative to the ski and adapted to swing outwardly, a rigid bridge piece having a centrally disposed rigid operating arm extending rearwardly and upwardly and said bridge piece having one end loosely connected to the top of the fixed side plate and having its other end detachably hooked to the upper end of the hinged side plate, said detachable hooked connection placing a tension on said hinged side plate that tends to spring said side plate outwardly when the parts are disengaged, said hooked connection of the bridge piece to the hinged side plate being disengaged by the bridge piece temporarily camming the hinged plate inwardly by upward or forward motion imparted to said bridge piece by pressure from the instep of the shoe upon said operating arm when the shoe is excessively bent as during a forward fall.

'7. In a ski harness the combination of a pair of shoe-engaging side plates projecting up from the ski, one plate being rigid relative to the ski, the second plate having its lower edge hinged relative to the ski and adapted to swing out.- wardly, a bridge piece having one end loosely connected to the upper part of the fixed side plate and having its other end detachably connected to the upper end of the hinged side plate, said connection placing a tension on said hinged side plate that tends to spring said hinged side plate outwardly when the parts are disengaged, said connection of the bridge piece to the hinged side plate being disengaged by upward or forward movement of the bridge piece, and means operatively connected to the bridge piece for so moving the same and operated by forward pressure thereon from the instep of the shoe when the heel is excessively raised as during a forward fall, a tensioned heel cable having one end provided with a ball, a device releasably holding said ball of the heel cable and means releasing said device on the outward swinging of said hinged side plate.

8. In a ski harness the combination of a pair of shoe-engaging side plates projecting up from the ski, one plate being rigid relative to the ski, the second plate having its lower edge hinged relative to the ski and adapted to swing outwardly, a bridge piece having one end loosely connected to the upper part of the fixed side plate and having its other end detachably connected to the upper end of the hinged side plate, said connection placing a tension on said hinged side plate that tends to spring said hinged side plate outwardly when the parts are disengaged, said connection of the bridge piece to the hinged side plate being disengaged by upward or forward movement of the bridge piece, and means operatively connected to the bridge piece for so moving the same and operated by forward pressure from the instep of the shoe when the heel is excessively raised as during a forward fall, a tensioned heel cable having one end provided .cable is released simultaneously with the release of said hinged side plate.

9. In a ski harness the combination 0! a pair of shoe-engaging side plates projecting up from the ski, one plate being rigid relative to the ski, the second plate having its lower edge hinged relative to the ski and adapted to swing out- 10. In a ski harness the combination of a pair wardly, a rigid bridge piece having at its rearupper end of the hinged side plate, said detachable hooked connection placing a tension on said hinged side plate that tends to spring said side plate outwardly when the parts are disengaged. said hooked connection of the bridge piece to the hinged side plate being disengaged by the bridge piece temporarily camming the hinged plate inwardly by upward or forward motion imparted to said bridge piece by pressure item the instep oi the shoe upon said operating arm when the shoe is excessively bent as during a forward fall, a tensioned heel cable having one end provided with a ball, a device releasably holding said ball of the heel cable and means releasing said device on the outward springing of said hinged side plate.

20 having its other end detachably hooked to the the ski. one plate being rigid relative to the ski, the second plate having its lower edge hinged relative to the ski and adapted'to swing outwardly, a rigid bridge piece having at its rearward side a centrally disposed rigid operating arm extending rearwardly and then curved upwardly, said bridge piece having one end loosely connected to the top of the fixed side plate and having its other end detachably hooked to the upper end 01 the hinged side plate, said detachable hooked connection placing a tension on said hinged side plate that tends to spring said side plate outwardly when the parts are disengaged. said hooked connection oi the bridgepiece to the hinged side plate being disengaged by the bridge piece temporarily camming the hinged plate inwardly by upward or forward motion imparted to said bridge piece by pressure on said operating arm from the instep of the shoe when the shoe is excessively bent as during a forward fall, a tensioned heel cable having one end provided with a ball, adevice releasabiy holding said ball, said device including an open-ended socket for holding the ball adjacent the hinsed Joint of said side plate, said socket being closed by an enlargement on an adjacent part of the hinged joint, when the said hinged plate is in normal upward position, said socket being opened when the said side plate springs upwardly so that the cable is released simultaneously with the releaseof said hinged side plate.

KARL w. GRUPPE. 

